The Heart of the Wolf
by Kyoko-Hime1134
Summary: He had left her. Twice. But she still knew he cared about her. Inquisitor Nyssa Lavellan would not give up the hope that she could reach Solas and change his heart, no matter who or what would come between them. Thankfully, she'll have help along the way. (Post Trespasser)
1. Chapter 1 - The Inquisitor's Shadow

Her sources told her the Inquisition was looking for aid in their fight to stop the Dread Wolf's plans in the Imperium. The blonde haired Elven woman counted her blessings. Tevinter was one of the few places in all Thedas that she could most easily blend in.

"Are you sure you can get in that way?" asked the man who had saved her life.

She smirked at the question and replied, "Oh, I'll make it. You put me in charge of the Black Wolves for a reason."

With a chuckle, the man admitted, "A fair point. I wish you luck."

* * *

Magister Dorian Pavus was greatly impressed by the new servant. All potential wait staff had to be interviewed, since they were not slaves but payed help, and she had passed hers with flying colors. Her work ethic and organizational skills were exceptional.

Knowing the Inquisition was looking for people to help in the fight to stop Solas, Dorian was always on the lookout for individuals who could potentially aid that fight. And so, Dorian relayed the woman's name to the Inquisitor via their message crystals who would then pass it on to Alexander, Leliana's replacement as Spymaster, to let him look into her history and evaluate her potential as an agent for the Inquisition. Sailing through that evaluation as easily as her employment interview, the woman was secretly sent to Skyhold to serve as an agent answering directly to Alexander.

* * *

Despite having heard all of the stories about Skyhold, the Elven servant woman from Tevinter was still impressed by the strength of the place. And not just the stone and mortar that had built it, but the strength of the spirit the place resonated with. Snapping herself out of it, she started towards the front gate once more.

She showed the letter to the gate guard that bore the seal of her previous employer, Magister Dorian Pavus. The guard waved her in and told her to follow the steps all the way up into the main hall. Following the instructions, she smiled as she entered the hall. After all of the stories, it was exactly as she has pictured it to look like.

"Miss Breani," The woman looked towards the speaker, a fair-haired, light eyed man with a perpetual smile, "We've been expecting you.

"I'm Alexander," he introduced himself, "I am the one you will be reporting to."

The woman smiled and said, "A pleasure. Magister Pavus had nothing but good things to say about you."

Most would have missed the slightest of blushes that appeared on Alexander's face, but the woman caught it just before he glanced away.

"The Inquisitor wants to meet you," Alexander quickly regained his composure, "But she's in an important meeting with Lady Josephine and an Orlesian diplomat. Let's get you settled in while we wait."

The section of the barracks that Alexander took her to was an area set aside for agents and scouts that answered to him instead of Cullen. After a quick introduction to the place, she set her things in her place and followed Alexander back to the main hall.

As they entered they passed a man dressed in typical Orlesian nobleman's style, quite clearly the diplomat from Orlais. The woman picked out the Inquisition's Ambassador easily, even from the other end of the hall. And the woman she was speaking with...

Even without having been told that the Inquisitor had been in the meeting, or even seeing the missing hand, the Tevinter woman could have easily picked the Inquisitor out of any crowd and from across any crowded room. She carried herself with confidence and wore an aura of grace and power like a cloak. And yet she still came off as someone a person could confide in about anything.

"Inquisitor," Alexander bowed his head respectfully, "Miss Breani has arrived from Tevinter."

"Inquisitor." Breani bowed, genuinely respectful.

"It's good to finally meet you" the Inquisitor smiled, "Dorian couldn't say enough good things about you."

"I'm not so sure I deserve it." A blush colored Breani's face.

"I'll take her from here Alexander," the Inquisitor told her Spymaster, "I was hoping to get her impression on a few things."

"As you wish Inquisitor," Alexander nodded before telling Josephine, "As it so happens, Ambassador, there was something that I was needing to speak with you about."

"Of course, let us go to my office." Josephine nodded and the two left.

"What did you wish to ask me about Inquisitor?" Breani asked, genuinely curious.

"You grew up in the Imperium, so I was hoping to get your take on our current fight." The Inquisitor led her towards a door across the hall.

"You mean this one with...oh what was it? The Dread Wolf? Or was it the one with the Qun?" Breani asked as they climbed the stairs behind the door.

"Fen'Harel." The Inquisitor clarified.

"What exactly about it do you want me to speak of?"

With her hand resting on the railing around the center of the library and gazing down at the paintings on the wall of the room below, The Inquisitor asked "How do you feel about the idea of the Elven gods simply being Evanuris? Powerful mages?"

Giving her honest opinion, Breani said, "I have heard the tale. That the 'Evanuris' went mad with power and turned down dark paths, becoming evil dictators eventually worshiped as gods. And that the 'Dread Wolf' was a mage who led a rebellion against them. But could the gods truly be just mages? I believe yes. Our people were once immortal you recall. They had the time to gather knowledge and strength mages in this age could only dream of. And they had the time to change people's impression of them as well. Some were starting to believe that Corypheus was a god and he didn't have the length of time that the Evanuris did."

With a small chuckle, the Inquisitor admitted, "I see your point."

"And as for the 'evil mages" part of the story, I have seen both good mages and malicious mages in my time but I have also seen normal men be both saints and sinners. That is simply the nature of man. It's not just mages."

The only other person that had been in the library left and Breani asked, "Can I be honest about something with you Inquisitor?"

"Of course. What's on your mind"

Breani's naturally bright personality shifted just a little bit and revealed the calm and calculating mind just beneath.

"By now your Spymaster will have told you that I was once a slave owned by a notoriously vicious Magister who almost two years ago was mysteriously killed and that many credit me with the killing. And he's also reported that he can find no possible connection between myself and Fen'Harel."

"How do you-" the Inquisitor started to say.

"He is wrong Inquisitor," the woman cut in, "That is simply what I wanted him to find. I _was_ owned by that Magister and he _was_ killed after he nearly killed me. But I did not kill him, in self-defense or otherwise. That was Fen'Harel's doing."

The Inquisitor gasped.

"He saved my life and then welcomed me and my fellow slaves as followers. After the Exalted Council, he wanted someone he could trust here. So here I am."

"Why?" The Inquisitor asked, so quiet Breani almost didn't hear her.

"You Inquisitor. You are my one and only mission here."

"Me?" the Inquisitor seemed genuinely surprised to hear that.

"Is that really so surprising? Despite everything that's happened he stills cares deeply for you. He doesn't want anyone to harm you. After the Qunari tried and it took direct intervention from him to stop them, he knew someone with access to our information network would need to be here looking out for you."

Guessing the Inquisitor's main concern, Breani added, "I will not report anything about the

Inquisition. I report only on your personal welfare."

"Why tell me all this?" The Inquisitor asked.

"I wasn't supposed to," Breani admitted, "But you accepted a Ben-Hassrath spy into the Inquisition _knowing_ that he was spy. And to be honest, I agree with his idea that I would have been found out eventually and that it's better for you to hear it from me up front."

Looking back down towards the lower floor and seeming to accept what she was hearing, the Inquisitor said, "Solas is still looking out for me, even though the Inquisition stands against him and his plans."

"Yes Inquisitor," Breani nodded, "I will be your silent protector. Otherwise all of my skills are at the service of the Inquisition."

"Thank you," the Inquisitor said, and the other woman got the feeling that it wasn't her she was thanking, before turning and saying, "I might as well call you be your first name then.

"Welcome to the Inquisition, Lothiri Breani."


	2. Chapter 2 - A Healing Touch

Over the next few weeks, Lothiri's skills at organizing people helped the Inquisition considerably. And true to her word, Lothiri reported nothing of the Inquisition or its plans to her fellow Followers of Fen'Harel. Surprisingly, the Inquisitor also said nothing to the rest of the Inquisition about Lothiri's true allegiance.

Lothiri started to earn a place there and even came to understand just how good the Inquisition really was. Under the Inquisitor's leadership, the Inquisition was prepared to move against both her fellow Followers or a return of the Qunari equally. However Lothiri also saw the Inquisition's one real weakness. A weakness that was also its greatest strength.

The Inquisitor herself.

Her leadership and ability to inspire had not diminished, if anything they had only grown. But the fact remained that she was still weakened by the loss of her left hand. She coped well but without access to her full skill set, the Inquisitor was vulnerable. Yet another reason why Lothiri was there.

The more time she spent among the Inquisition, the more Lothiri understood why she had been given her mission and how important it was that she not fail. She also came up with a plan. One that would greatly benefit the Inquisition, and the Inquisitor herself.

And so Lothiri sent out word through her network within the Followers. A few weeks later she had enough pieces of information to present them to Alexander without betraying her true sources.

* * *

Approaching the Inquisition's spymaster, Lothiri waited until he finished giving out a new batch of orders before beginning, "Ser, I think I may have something you'll be interested in."

"What is it Lothiri?" Alexander asked, getting a messenger bird out of a cage.

"Back in Tevinter, there was a folk tale of sorts about a healer woman they said could heal almost any physical wound."

"I know of that tale. We looked into it and found no credible leads." Alexander said, attaching a message to the bird.

"I heard. That's why I used some of my connections back in Tevinter to look again. And I think I found some solid enough leads to bring to you."

Alexander released the bird and very seriously said, "Tell me."

So she did. Lothiri relayed what she could, knowing he would be able to fill in the gaps with either knowledge he already had or information he would soon get from the Inquisition's agents.

"Thank you Lothiri," Alexander smiled, "I will bring this to the Inquisitor's attention and see what might be done to locate this healer."

"I wish you luck. And I hope this isn't all in vain." Lothiri admitted.

"As do I," Alexander agreed, "As do I."

* * *

The Inquisition's scouts reported back. They had found the healer. She lived in a small village not on any map but that was surprisingly healthy. The first sign that they had the right place.

After explaining who they were and what they were asking if her, the healer agreed to make the journey to Skyhold. While she promised no miracles, she did promise that she would do whatever she could for the Inquisitor. In exchange, the Inquisition agreed to honor her one request and protect her village while she was gone.

* * *

When the healer arrived at Skyhold, the Inquisitor greeted her personally, and thanked her for agreeing to make the long journey from Tevinter to Skyhold.

"I could not stand by and do nothing when my gifts may be able to help someone. Even more so the Inquisitor who healed the Breach," the healer smiled, "Put you back to rights, like you did the sky."

As they walked together towards where the healer would be staying while visiting Skyhold, the Inquisitor asked, "Is there really nothing more you want in return?"

"I was raised with the idea that when someone does something nice or good for you, you return the favor. You healed the sky so in a way all of Thedas owes you. This is simply my way of helping Thedas pay some of that debt."

Her things settled, the healer asked, "If you are comfortable with it Inquisitor, I would like to get an idea of what I'm working with. I'll need to know if there are any other materials I may need."

"No, I don't mind."

Despite her words, the Inquisitor looked away while the healer examined her left arm. Not missing that detail, the examination was over as quickly as the healer could manage while still learning everything she needed to.

"Good news Inquisitor," the healer smiled, "We'll be able to begin the healing tomorrow."

"R-really? So soon?"

"I'm rather tired from my journey, but I will be rested and ready to begin in the morning." the healer promised.

"Thank you," the Inquisitor brightened considerably.

"No your Worship, thank _you._ "

* * *

 _-That Evening, Skyhold Battlements-_

Lothiri was sitting on the battlements, looking at the stars when the healer approached her.

Sitting next to the Elven woman and looking at the stars as well, the healer said, "It was good of you to have me found. Thank you."

"Do you really think anyone else could heal her?" Lothiri smirked, knowing the answer.

"No." the healer smiled.

After a few minutes of silence, Lothiri said, "Thank you for bringing us back with you."

"We were all born here. It's a homecoming for all of us, not just me."

"So let's make sure to protect it, shall we?"

The healer chuckled and replied, "Gladly."

* * *

 _-The Next Morning-_

The healer joined the Inquisitor in her quarters. She insisted that the Inquisitor be comfortable while she worked since preparing the healing magics could take some time.

"How did you come up with this healing?" the Inquisitor asked while the healer worked her spell.

"I saw how a lizard that loses its tail will gradually grow a replacement. I simply set out to try and find a way to get people to do the same with missing limbs. It took some time to get the spell right, it needs to be adjusted to each individual and as the healing progresses, but I managed to find a stable method."

"That's extraordinary!" the Inquisitor remarked.

The healer shrugged and continued on, "The first few days of healing will appear as if nothing is happening, but the spell is working inside you. If the inside is not strong, then the outside will not be strong and the healing is wasted."

"I understand."

Moving her hand down the Inquisitor's good arm, the healer explained how the healing would progress.

"The forearm will heal fairly quickly," she began, "It is fairly simple and straight forward. However the wrist and hand will take much longer. Most of the healing time will be spent there. There are many things that can go wrong so the spell will spend more time there to assure everything heals as it should.

"It...will also be more painful," the healer admitted, "This is not a painless process by any means but more complexity also means more pain. I can help ease the pain is it gets to be too much so please do not hesitate to tell me if it reaches that point."

"Oh I don't know, I can handle quite a lot."

The healer chuckled and the mood lightened a little but she still said, "Even so, if the pain gets to be too much, please tell me."

"I will, I promise."

* * *

 _-Same Time, Home Camp of the Black Wolves-_

Having managed to get away from Skyhold for a time, Lothiri returned to her camp of Followers to attend to her people. She had just finished with the last issue needing her immediate attention when someone new walked in. Recognizing the man's aura without even looking up, Lothiri knew exactly who had walked in.

"You've heard of the healer I found I assume." Lothiri said.

"I did." Solas nodded.

"Then I'll tell you the good news. The healer believes that she will be completely healed just in time for the Gathering of Clans."

"Has her invitation arrived yet?"

"Not yet, but I expect it soon."

"Stay with her Lothiri," Solas said, a bit of the emotions he held back showing through, "I need her safe."

"I will. I promise."


	3. Chapter 3 - A New Adventure

Lothiri's estimation proved correct. Two days later, a letter arrived from the Inquisitor's old Keeper, inviting her the the Gathering of Clans, where all the Dalish clans would gather to share stories and experiences. According to the letter, they still considered her to be a part of the clan, despite her time away from them.

"I will arrange a protective detail for you." Cullen told the Inquisitor when she brought it up to her advisers.

"I'm going to the Gathering if Clans, not Halamshiral. I'll be fine." the Inquisitor insisted.

"You do recall that one of our main adversaries is man once thought to be an Elven god?" Josephine reminded.

"And there are many among the Dalish clans who do not believe or have not heard your story Inquisitor," Alexander added, "They still fully believe in the Elven Gods being gods and that too could pose a major risk."

The Inquisitor took a deep breath and made a quick decision.

"Send for the Chargers. They can be my protection detail." she said.

"The Chargers?" Cullen asked, skeptical.

"It actually makes sense," Alexander chimed in, "We know where their loyalties lie. They will protect the Inquisitor as well as any of our troops would. Plus, no chance of spies."

"I still think one of ours should go," Cullen insisted before suggesting, "Cassandra perhaps?"

"A good idea Commander," Alexander nodded, "One of my agents should go as well. They're trained to identify traps and spies."

"Perhaps the new girl Dorian just sent us?" Josephine offered, "She joined us only just recently so Solas couldn't know much of her yet."

It took all of the Inquisitor's self control to keep from smirking, since she knew that in fact Lothiri had joined the Inquisition under orders from Solas.

"Yes, Lothiri is an excellent choice. She's be capable of blending in should the need arise," Alexander agreed before a realization hit him and he said, "You do realize this plan means that there are going to be humans, a dwarf, and a Qunari at the Gathering of Dalish Clans, correct?"

"I'm sure they'll understand that there are precautions we must take." The Inquisitor said.

"I do hope you are right." Josephine admitted.

* * *

The healer's predictions also came true. The healing progressed exactly as she had said. Just two days before she would leave for the Gathering, the Inquisitor gingerly flexed the fingers on her left hand, at a loss for words.

"Do not attempt to do too much with that hand just yet Inquisitor," the healer warned, "It is still building strength.

"I will be here when you return from the Gathering to make sure the final stage of healing took correctly. But you should be able to use your hand as if you never lost it by the time you arrive."

"Thank you." The Inquisitor had no other words to express how much it meant to her, but the emotions behind the words came through loud and clear.

"I told you my lady, it is the least I could do for the woman who saved us all."

With the flow of emotions begun, the Inquisitor couldn't hold it back any more and, since Solas was never far from her thoughts, her voice cracked as she admitted, "And yet I couldn't see the truth the man most important to me was hiding."

"I have heard the tale of what happened since I've been here. I get the feeling that the Elven rebel is so used to hiding who he is that no one could have guessed. Although I have yet to hear of him harming the Inquisition or you directly," the healer gently pointed out, "I believe that fact alone shows just how much he truly cares."

The Inquisitor thought about how Solas had sent Lothiri to protect her and conceded, "You may be right."

With a smile, the healer told her "I hope you enjoy the Gathering Inquisitor."

* * *

Lothiri slipped her last few things into her packs and joined Cassandra and the Chargers in Skyhold's courtyard. Once there, she stuck close to Cassandra. It was the first time she had met the Chargers and their leader. It was not the first time she had seen a Qunari, she did used to live in Tevinter after all, but the Iron Bull was still pretty intimidating.

"So this is the girl Alexander is sending with us huh?" Bull asked when she was finally able to introduce herself.

"Yes," Cassandra nodded, "I've seen her work before and she is quite good. She even helped me find a few of the more reclusive Seekers."

"I only relayed what little information I had." Lothiri blushed at the praise.

"Still, it was more to go off of then I had on my own." Cassandra said.

"You know, that blush of your is kinda cute." Bull said, tipping Lothiri's chin up a little.

Lothiri squeaked and hid behind Cassandra.

"Be nice Chief." Krem scolded.

"Hey, I was being nice!" Bull shot back.

'Fen'Harel was right, I'm going to have to be extra careful around him. That Ben-Hassrath training of the Iron Bull's could be the end of me.' Lothiri thought to herself.

That was the scene the Inquisitor walked into the courtyard to find. Lothiri hiding behind Cassandra who was shaking her head at the two men while those very men debated back and forth on if Bull had really been "nice" to Lothiri. She couldn't help but laugh.

"Well this is going to be an interesting journey if this is how it's starting." she smiled.

"It will be something alright." Cassandra agreed.

Putting her own packs on her horse, the Inquisitor asked, "Shall we get going then? We have quite a bit of traveling ahead of us."


End file.
